Controller for starting vehicular direct-injection engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9790879-B2
Application number	US-201214437413-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2012
Priority date	Nov 1, 2012
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A start control device of a vehicular direct injection engine provided in a vehicle is configured to execute an ignition start to raise rotation of the direct injection engine at a start of the direct injection engine by fuel injection and multiple sparking performed for a predetermined cylinder in an expansion stroke out of multiple cylinders of the direct injection engine, the start control device of a vehicular direct injection engine reduces the number of times of sparking for the predetermined cylinder at the time of an ignition start of the direct injection engine as compared to an ignition start performed before the current ignition start based on ignition timing of the ignition start performed before the current ignition start.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A start control device of a vehicular direct injection engine provided in a vehicle, the start control device comprising:
an electronic control unit configured to execute an ignition start to raise rotation of the direct injection engine at a start of the direct injection engine by fuel injection and multiple sparking performed for a predetermined cylinder in an expansion stroke out of multiple cylinders of the direct injection engine,
wherein the electronic control unit reduces a number of times of sparking for the predetermined cylinder at a time of a current ignition start of the direct injection engine as compared to a prior ignition start performed before the current ignition start based on ignition timing of the prior ignition start performed before the current ignition start.

2. The start control device of a vehicular direct injection engine of claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit detects an ignition in the predetermined cylinder based on an ion current generated when combustion is caused in the predetermined cylinder, wherein
the number of times of sparking is learned based on timing of generation of the ion current at an ignition start so as to reduce the number of times of sparking at an ignition start after the learning.

3. The start control device of a vehicular direct injection engine of claim 2 , comprising an electric motor coupled to the direct injection engine and raising the rotation of the direct injection engine at a start of the direct injection engine, wherein
if ignition is not detected based on the ion current by the electronic control unit, the electric motor is used for starting the direct injection engine.

4. The start control device of a vehicular direct injection engine of claim 2 , wherein
when operation of the direct injection engine is stopped, the rotation is stopped such that the predetermined cylinder is in the expansion stroke, and wherein
the electronic control unit is disposed to detect the ion current in the predetermined cylinder.

5. The start control device of a vehicular direct injection engine of claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit stops the rotation of the direct injection engine such that the predetermined cylinder is in an expansion stroke by stopping fuel injection or sparking for the direct injection engine based on a preset rotation condition of the direct injection engine.

6. The start control device of a vehicular direct injection engine of claim 1 , wherein
the direct injection engine is provided in a hybrid vehicle having an electric motor that is configured to perform as a drive force source for running, and is selectively coupled to the electric motor via a clutch, and wherein
the electric motor transmits an assist torque via the clutch to the direct injection engine during a rising section of a rotation speed at a start of the direct injection engine, thereby assisting a rise in the rotation speed of the direct injection engine.

Assignees

• Kojima Susumu
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kojima Susumu

Classifications

• B60W20/40

  Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers {(power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192)} · CPC title

• Y02T10/6221

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F02N2300/2002

  using different starting modes, methods, or actuators depending on circumstances, e.g. engine temperature or component wear · CPC title

• F02D37/02

  one of the functions being ignition · CPC title

• B60W10/06

  including control of combustion engines · CPC title